Confident of a favourable verdict in SC: Keshab Mahanta
GUWAHATI: The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has said that it has filed a case in the Supreme Court against the Citizenship Amendment Act with a plea to exempt the whole of Assam from the purview of the contentious legislation.
Addressing the media here on Saturday, AGP working president, Keshab Mahanta said that the regional party has filed a petition against CAA in the apex court after threadbare discussions.
“Our statement made in Parliament and that in the petition before the Supreme Court are same. We want the entire state to be exempted from the ambit of CAA, like the other Northeastern states. Our chances of winning the case are very good,” the AGP leader said.
“Besides, we have sought additional Constitutional safeguards for our people, over and above those under Clause 6 of the Assam Accord,” he said.
Mahanta reiterated that the party’s stand on CAA has been the same.
“We have always stood against it. We are the only regional party which had opposed the legislation in the street and voiced the same before the Governor. Our party has always put the interests of the people of the state ahead and would “never compromise with the interests of the indigenous people,” Mahanta said, while seeking to allay public apprehensions and ambiguity regard to the party’s stand on CAA.
AGP president, Atul Bora, while conveying the party’s New Year greetings to the people and the media, echoed Mahanta by saying that interests of the people of Assam would be protected.
“We know that people of Assam love AGP, as the party has had a long history. Now, we want to make the party strong, take it to the masses, and give priority to the new generation while taking the party forward in the coming year. We expect people to have a correct perspective in regard to what we want to do for the state, even as the party is currently facing challenges,” Bora said.